Five weeks into the NFL season, it is officially time to start looking into fantasy football trades.
Whether you’re 0-5 and looking for a Hail Mary, or you’re 5-0 and trying to prey on the desperate teams, there is a large enough sample size to start some serious conversations about how to move forward. Injuries have left plenty of managers short-handed, as have disappointing starts from some notable stars.
Fantasy football trades are always tough to get across the finish line, so it could take a while for a deal to come together. Before Week 6 gets underway, it’s time to take stock of where certain players of note stand — like A.J. Brown, Drake London, Brian Thomas Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, Ladd McConkey and CeeDee Lamb. DraftKings is here to break down who could be worth moving, with New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara up next.
Alvin Kamara Fantasy Value
Kamara was – on average – RB7 between 2017 and 2021. From 2022 to 2024, he was RB19. He finished 2024 as RB15 and was RB15 in ADP coming into 2025, making him a consensus late third-to-early fourth-round pick. The 30-year-old was coming off a season in which he racked up 950 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, plus 543 yards and two touchdowns on 68 receptions and 89 targets. Kamara totaled 1,493 yards from scrimmage – his most since 2020 – and eight total touchdowns – his most since 2021.
Through two weeks of action, Kamara was looking more or less like his old self. In the season opener, he notched 57 yards and a touchdown on 13 touches. He saw even more volume against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2, going for 120 yards on 21 carries and six receptions. In the three games since then, however, Kamara has averaged 46 rushing yards on 14 carries and 15 receiving yards on three catches. He hasn’t found the end zone since Week 1, only mustering up three red zone carries in his last three outings.
Backup Kendre Miller, meanwhile, had four red zone carries in Week 4 alone, bringing one in for a touchdown. He got up to a 39.4% snap share in Week 5, dragging Kamara down to 56.1%.
As it stands, Kamara is averaging 11.4 PPR fantasy points per game. He is currently ranked as RB24. Per ESPN, though, Kamara still ranks No. 13 among running backs in expected fantasy points. Christian McCaffrey and Chase Brown are the only running backs who have underperformed as drastically as Kamara compared to adjusted expectations.
Should I trade Alvin Kamara?
It may seem like dumping Kamara right now would constitute selling low, but there should be reasonable deals out there in spite of the red flags. His usage is trending down and he isn’t getting any younger, nor are his upcoming matchups particularly favorable. The New England Patriots’ defense ranks fifth against fantasy running backs in 2025, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank 12th and Los Angeles Rams rank third. A Week 7 showdown against a porous Chicago Bears defense presents an opportunity for a breakout, but that’s about it.
The underlying numbers behind Kamara’s production suggest there could be a positive regression to the mean, which makes for a good selling point in any potential trade negotiations. But in reality, relying on a bottom-10 offense led by Spencer Rattler isn’t a winning game plan. The Saints could also trade Kamara, which would open up a ton of uncertainty that could go in either direction.
Kamara has still cleared double digit fantasy points in three of five games this season, reaching at least 9.5 in four of those contests. The bottom hasn’t completely fallen out yet, so other fantasy owners hopefully won’t be overly skeptical during trade talks.
What trade package could Alvin Kamara fetch?
There are bound to be running back-needy teams out there this week, with Saquon Barkley banged up, Omarion Hampton hitting the injured reserve and Jordan Mason and Nick Chubb on bye. As a result, flipping Kamara for a receiver seems like a smart play. If Marvin Harrison Jr. or A.J. Brown are on the block, make that trade, but Courtland Sutton or Deebo Samuel Sr. would be good additions as well.
If you’re looking to swap a running back for a running back, maybe buying low on Chase Brown is a move to make. The Cincinnati Bengals trading for Joe Flacco should bring their offense back to life, not to mention Jonathan Taylor thrived in a Flacco-led offense down the stretch last season.
